PLEASE PRAY FOR ME: Cat Bite & Rabies Shots!

[kimlovescats]

EDIT: Pictures added on post #61


To make as short of a story as possible, a stray male cat showed up on my front porch the past couple of days. Yesterday afternoon, I fed him and he seemed friendly and I was able to pet him. Last night around 9 pm, I was reaching down to pet him and he turned and bit down with all 4 of his fang teeth into the fatty part of my palm! Around midnight, my hand was hurting, red and swelling .... went to the ER. They put me on two anti-biotics and recommended rabies shots.

Today animal control has a trap set ... of course the kitty left "the scene of the crime" last night. I'm guessing he will come back for more food soon. Meanwhile I have to make a decision on whether or not to start the shots. I had a call into my regular doctor and her office just called back and she said that I should start the shots right away at the ER.

To say that I am scared is an understatement. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!!

Kim

[MoonandBean]

Kim,

rabies shots are nothing nowadays. They are nothing like the rabies shots we've all heard about in the past...painful and in the stomach...yuck! Now they just give a series of 5 shots in the arm...just like the hepatitis B series (that's 3 shots but close enough). I'm only saying this cause I'm sure you're thinking of the old days when it was a horrible experience...not the case anymore, thank God. Go start the series and everything will be OK...better safe than sorry.

http://www.vaccineinformation.org/rabies/qandavax.asp

Above is a good link I found.

Good Luck; keep us updated,
Deb

[kimlovescats]

My biggest fear is not the pain of the shots (I had a tetanus last night) but the side effects that I might have from the shots.

[catfamily]

Kim
I am so sorry this happened to you!First the ankles..now the palm..
It's good that "moonandbean" told you that it isn't as bad anymore
(the rabies shots).
So that at least is a load off your shoulders...but just the whole thing!!
You've had your share these past couple months.
I'm praying for you.
I know you'll be fine...better days are ahead.

i just read that your worried about side affects....i hope and pray you don't have any.

[kimlovescats]

Kim
I am so sorry this happened to you!First the ankles..now the palm..
It's good that "moonandbean" told you that it isn't as bad anymore
(the rabies shots).
So that at least is a load off your shoulders...but just the whole thing!!
You've had your share these past couple months.
I'm praying for you.
I know you'll be fine...better days are ahead.

i just read that your worried about side affects....i hope and pray you don't have any.

Thank you, Carla. I just sent out an e-mail to some other rescues, asking desperately for help with my bottle babies. (week old)

[Freedom]

Kim --

You do realize that, if they trap that kitty, it will be PTS!

I was bitten last Fall by a feral from one of the colonies; she was recuperating here for her 5 days of post op prior to being released. She "mysteriously" disappeared from my home before Animal Control arrived. She i now happily living in her colony, spayed, up to date on her shots, and blissfully unaware of how close she came to the unimaginable.

In fact, she disappeared from my home before I even went to the ER, as I knew what would happen. Yeah, my hand was lots more swollen and painful than it would have been but . . . she was OK, te hee. She'd had her rabies shot that morning along with the spay etc.

Hang in there, you WILL get through all of this.
Sandie

[kimlovescats]

Kim --

You do realize that, if they trap that kitty, it will be PTS!

I was bitten last Fall by a feral from one of the colonies; she was recuperating here for her 5 days of post op prior to being released. She "mysteriously" disappeared from my home before Animal Control arrived. She i now happily living in her colony, spayed, up to date on her shots, and blissfully unaware of how close she came to the unimaginable.

In fact, she disappeared from my home before I even went to the ER, as I knew what would happen. Yeah, my hand was lots more swollen and painful than it would have been but . . . she was OK, te hee. She'd had her rabies shot that morning along with the spay etc.

Hang in there, you WILL get through all of this.
Sandie

While I would not under normal circumstances want a cat to be PTS, I can't really say "poor kitty" and then die of rabies myself!!!

IN ADDITION: If he is aggressive with me (extremely cat-oriented person) and I ignore him, how many children in my neighborhood would he bite and have to go through prophylactic rabies shots just so "poor kitty" could live?

[catfamily]

kim
if there were any way i could bottle feed those babies for you i would...being to far away from you...i can't and i feel terrible about it.
i'd do it in a heartbeat...i am home and have the time.
i hope you find soomeone to help you with the babies.

[Taz_Zoee]

Oh no Kim, this is not good. I hope you will not have any side effects from the shots and will be better soon.
All you do for the animals around you, you are a true saint of a person.

[Medusa]

Oh boy, just what you need, huh? A feral bit me in the same spot on my hand right before I bought this house 3 1/2 years ago and, honestly, I didn't even think about rabies. I don't know why; it just didn't occur to me. My hand swelled and bruised, the whole nine yards and I never did get any treatment for it. Now that you know that rabies shots aren't what they used to be, you can relax a little there and as for side effects, we'll just send up the prayers that you won't have any. Done.

[lvpets2002]

Oh no no Kim.. I am so so sorry about this.. Hey how are you?? I know your scared to death.. Sending many Prayers & Good Wishes..

[catmandu]

I HAD TO GO INTO EMERGENCY LAST YEAR AS POUNCER KARINA BIT MEON THE ELBOW AS I DRAGGED HER INTO THE HOUSE.
IT SWELLED UP ,AND WAS RED BUT AFTER TWO NEEDLES IT WENT DOWN, AND NOW ITS FINE AFTER ANTI BIOTICS AND THERAPY.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN CATCH THIS CAT THE WAY WE DID POUNCER KARINA, AND FIND THAT HES NOT RABID, AND FIND HIM A GOOD FURREVER HOME TOO.

[jazzcat]

Oh Kim, I'm so sorry.

Okay, I just typed up this long thing about how I would wait to catch the cat and call the county health dept. first and ask about any reported rabies cases but then I googled rabies report TN and found this. I know Kingsport is a long way from you but still...
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9006617

[moosmom]

Kim,

I got bit by a pregnant stray in Michigan (Remember that Ramanth??). It was a NASTY bite, down to the bone of my right pinky finger. I held it in hydrogen peroxide and put some antibiotic ointment on it and a bandaid. 24 hours later I had a red line going up my arm. Off to the ER. They wanted to do rabies shots and I said no. I told them it was a provoked attack (which is was, a stupid one on my part). They ended up giving me Augmentin, 10 tabs for 10 days at $10 a piece (no medical benefits). That did the trick.

I was in your shoes and my advice would be to take the Augmentin (if that is what the doctor prescribed) or whatever he gave you and forgo the rabies shots. But that is only MY opinion.

I'm so sorry for your pain, girl. It's one of the drawbacks rescue.

[kimlovescats]

Thank you for those who have responded in a supportive way. I just got home from the ER and getting 4 rabies shots. They didn't hurt at all but I was scared to death until that needle went in. The ER doctor was wonderful and told me to watch my hand very closely. They marked the level of swelling and redness on my arm with a pen so I can see if it goes further or reduces. If it spreads at all, I am to come right back to the ER. This is extra important since I am diabetic.

Time was the key here. By the time the cat could potentially have been caught, quarantined, euthanized, tested and the results back in ... I would have missed the safest "window" of time for starting my shots. So far, I feel fine ... just tired from the whole 24 hour ordeal and upset about the fate of this kitty who I only had hoped to help out. I will have to get shots on days 3, 7, 14 and 28 ... but only one shot each time.

Anyway, 2 of my vet's techs offered to take my bottle babies! I was grateful and relieved. After we got back home from the ER we took the kittens to the vet office. Then we we got back home again, the cat was IN THE TRAP! An animal control officer came out right away and took him away. The poor kitty was going nuts in the trap. I felt just awful and came inside and bawled my eyes out. Anyone on PT who thinks this didn't affect me has NO IDEA!

Kim